(Noob) Tooth question

tk123

Bit of a noob question here.. Is this what plaque/tartar looks like? I had a feel with my nail and it's definitely raised on the tooth but black line at the top has me a bit worried? The baba will be 2 in July and has always had spotless teeth so this has taken me by surprise. The only thing I can think of is that he had an upset tummy there a couple of weeks ago so I fed him wet food for the best part of the week?

tk123

Anyone?

seamus

Yeah, just looks like a bit of plaque/tartar to me. Get yourself a brush and try to give it a bit of a scrub, or give him some of those teeth cleaning chew things until he's back on the solid food.
Just keep an eye on it, if the black line starts spreading, then get a vet to check it out.

tk123

Thanks! I've been brushing his teeth the last few days - he doesn't really like it but tolerates it lol. I'm going to get him some stronger chews as well. I just didn't want to have to go to the vets if it's something I can take care of myself. We're on a bit of a roll at the moment - apart from his kennel cough booster in Jan we haven't been to the vets since the end of december - this is a record for us as we were there every few weeks with his legs before his op!

Rancid

I'm guessing that if you can actually feel it as a raised mark on the tooth that it has to be a build up of tartar. Is the black line raised or indented?
The other teeth look to be perfect and the gums look ok, they look very pink but not inflamed at all, I think.
All I can add is that I don't think a week on wet food could cause such isolated reaction.
Get the vet to check him, though, just in case there could be a risk of gum disease, prevention is always best!

Wisco

I don't think a vet visit in needed. Some degree of tartar is normal on dog teeth (you usually start to see it more in dogs 3yrs+) but brushing is recommended so long as your dog tolerates it. As he gets older, you can book dental descale and polishing on a regular basis. It requires a GA, so if your dog is having one for something else anyway (surgery or xrays, etc) you could ask the vet to do it then.
If you see that the gums are becoming brighter red (like a bright red area along the gum/tooth line) or look to be enflamed, then yes, book a checkup sooner.
A variety of chew toys is also a good idea and helps with prevention of gum disease, but brushing is best, although apparently it has to be done every other day to be effective.

tk123

Thanks guys. I'll keep an eye on it - if it gets any worse or doesn't improve I'll take him to the vets! I've gotten him some different chews to see if they make a difference. Just thinking yesterday last time I got him a nylabone I got a harder galileo one as the other ones weren't lasting as long - he doesn't chew it as much as the last one so this may have been a factor. He used to chew the other one for AGES everyday and it only dawned on me that hasn't been doing this for a few months - I got him one of the other ones yesterday too to see if helps.

Zapperzy

His teeth are spotless apart from that one little piece! Keep going with the brushing and nylabones, give him a few raw carrots and some raw chicken wings and that should shift it or at least prevent it from getting worse. I too wouldn't think one week on wet food would cause it, and unless it gets much worse or the gums start to look red and inflammed a vet visit would be a bit unnecassary.

tk123

Here's how it looked earlier :pac: We'll keep up the brushing since it takes all of 2 mins and I'm going to give him some harder chews/treats to make sure he's chewing and the teeth stay clean. :cool: The relief lol

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